Must see West End Christmas theatre shows 2022

ELF The Musical 

Forget about ‘elf on the shelf’, this year it's all about ELF on stage! Will Ferrel’s classic Christmas comedy has made its highly-anticipated return for a limited, sure-to-be-sell-out 8-week season at the Dominion Theatre. The wholesome and hilarious ELF sees buddy the baby crawling into Santa’s rucksack, only to end up in the hands of Santa’s little helpers, who raise him as one of their own. Buddy becomes suspicious of his not-so-elf height and inability to craft toys. Aware that he may never belong to The North Pole, Buddy heads to New York in search of his true identity. 

Simon Lipkin stars as Buddy, whilst Tom Chambers stars as Walter Hobbs. ELF is directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, with a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin. 

Bugsy Malone 

Step into the streets of 1929 New York this Christmas and join a city of dreamers, mobsters and showgirls in this stage adaptation of the award-winning 1976 movie Bugsy Malone, playing at the Alexandra Palace theatre in London. Set in the tense Prohibition era, rival mob bosses Fat Sam and Dandy Dan exchange flying custard pies, chaos and a splurge gun. Enter Busy Malone, the former boxer turned nice guy. Torn between staying faithful to Blousey and pursuing the tempting Tallulah, Bugsy pushes forward in his best efforts to defend Fat Sam, but will he stay as the nice guy? 

Busy Malone is written by Alan Parker, with Words & Music by Paul Williams, this iconic adaptation is fused together with the epic songs of Oscar®-winner Paul Williams including explosive songs such as You Give A Little Love, My Name is Tallulah, and Fat Sam’s Grand Slam.

Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol 

Redemption meets country-and-western in Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol. Dolly takes the heart-warming tale of A Christmas Carol and gives it a warm Tennessee twist. The  star of Cold Feet and Toast of London Robert Bathurst leads the cast as Scrooge. 

In the midst of a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by his dead business partner, followed by three ghosts who try and change his ways. In an attempt to thaw his frozen heart, the spirits try to make him see that love is the most valuable thing of all.

Due to popular demand, further dates have been added for this heart-warming country meets classic tale. 

Jack and The Beanstalk

This Christmas, climb up into the clouds and experience magic as Jack and The Beanstalk the panto comes to the London Palladium this Christmas. The Christmas panto is back for its seventh spectacular season, built from a star-studded cast including British icons Dawn French and Alexandra Burke.

Jack and The Beanstalk tells a tale as old as time. When poor country boy Jack trades the family cow for a meagre yet mysterious handful of beans, he wakes to discover a towering beanstalk that he climbs and is faced with the residence of one very large and extremely unfriendly giant. With elaborate costumes, incredibly creative sets and an impressive animatronic giant, Jack and The Beanstalk is the ultimate panto adventure this Christmas! 

Fe Fi Fo Fum, I smell the cheer of festive fun! 

Nutcracker 

Nutcracker returns this Christmas for an epic ballet display at the London Coliseum, it is the perfect holiday gift for the whole family to enjoy. In this timeless Christmas classic, 100 elite dancers and musicians bring snow-kissed magic to the stage, with enchanting dancing, intricate sets and Tchaikovsky’s popular score played live.

Clara receives a mysterious gift on a shimmering Christmas Eve in Edwardian London. Prepare for the adventure of a lifetime as Clara and her magical Nutcracker doll explore a mystical world, where she meets the ferocious Mouse King and a handsome stranger. As the night air grows colder Clara and the Nutcracker take a hot air balloon ride far above London to the glistening Land of Snow, where true adventure awaits.

A Christmas Carol 

Christmas simply isn’t the same without a reimagined production of Charles Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol, this year A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic is coming to fill the auditorium to the brim with merry music and mouth-watering mince pies. 

In this immersing and unique staging experience, the audience is taken along the ever-so-familiar and heart-breaking journey of Ebenezer Scrooge, recounting the story of how the elderly miser is visited by a group of spirits, and the impact that they aim to have on his life. He is visited by his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future, in the hopes that they can save his existence and teach him the true meaning of Christmas. This joyful adaptation for the stage was created by Jack Thorne who wrote Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.